K-Pop Stars Gather for 2025 Asia Top Artist Festival in Seoul

K-Pop icons such as Jannabi, THE BOYZ, and TWS are set to come together for a music festival at the end of September, marking the debut of a major K-Pop event at the expansive Hangang Nanji Park.

The first lineup for the '2025 Asia Top Artist Festival' (ATA Festival) was unveiled on the 9th. The festival kicks off on Saturday, September 27, featuring performances by Kyoung Seo, SAY MY NAME, 10CM, Lee Mujin, Jannabi, peppertones, H1-KEY, and Hwang Garam. The following day, Sunday, September 28, will see THE BOYZ, BADVILLAIN, UNIS, QWER, CRAVITY, TWS, 82MAJOR, FIFTY FIFTY, and Ha Sung-woon take the stage. Additional headliners and performers will be announced later.

peppertones, a male duo band consisting of Lee Jang-won and Shin Jae-pyung, debuted in 2004. Both members are KAIST graduates and have crafted a warm and intricate musical world unique to peppertones. Recently, they formed a project group called Mechanism with comedian Jo Hye-ryun, whom they met through the 'Pinggye-go' awards led by broadcaster Yoo Jae-suk, engaging in unique and experimental activities.

10CM, a one-man band led by Kwon Jung-yeol, debuted in 2010. His song 'Reach You,' released in March, topped the music charts two months later. As of 9 AM on the 9th, three months post-release, it remains at number one on the Melon TOP100 chart, boosted by a popular challenge video with broadcaster Joo Woo-jae on various short-form platforms.

Jannabi, with Choi Jung-hoon as the vocalist and Kim Do-hyung as the guitarist, debuted in April 2014. Their nationwide tour 'All Boys and Girls 2025' saw its final show in Daegu sell out immediately after tickets went on sale at 8 PM on the 29th. Additionally, they recently donated the entire proceeds of 48.6 million won from their tour merchandise T-shirts to support children in family care, adding a heartwarming touch.

THE BOYZ, who debuted in 2017, have consistently released albums. They received the 'THE PLATINUM' award at the 'ASEA 2025' held at K Arena Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan, on the 29th of last month. THE BOYZ expressed, "Receiving this award in a new place makes it even more valuable to us. We love The B (THE BOYZ fandom name) the most, and we'll return soon with good news as we've received such a great award."

TWS, who debuted in January last year, gained immense popularity with their debut song 'First Meeting Doesn't Go as Planned.' The track topped the '2024 Melon Annual Chart,' surpassing songs by senior artists. They are set to debut in Japan this July and have been invited as guests to the Chiba Lotte Marines' home game at Chiba Zozo Marine Stadium on the 29th, where they will throw the first pitch as a representative K-Pop boy group from Korea.

Early bird tickets for the ATA Festival will be available from 6 PM on the 12th via NOL Ticket (formerly Interpark). Tickets for both days (September 27-28) are priced at 143,000 KRW (regular price 176,000 KRW), while single-day tickets are 99,000 KRW (regular price 121,000 KRW).

The ATA Festival will take place over two days, September 27-28, at the Youth Plaza in Hangang Nanji Park, Mapo-gu, Seoul. The event is open to all ages and promises to be a celebration of not only K-Pop performances but also various aspects of Korean culture, including K-Food, K-Beauty, and K-Fashion. More information can be found on the official ATA Festival Instagram (@ata_festival_official).